Author Topic: Unhacking the wallet  (Read 344367 times)

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Offline intelli78

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Unhacking the wallet
« on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 04:06:48 »
Note: This is a pretty personal message but I suspect it'll resonate with some folks, hope you find it worthwhile. I know it was helpful for me to put this into writing.

When you get into the mechanical keyboard hobby, you learn a few things right away:

  • Acquiring stuff is part & parcel of the hobby -- it's an inherently materialistic pursuit
  • There's always something new to try, and the 'perfect switch' to chase
  • You're always subject to the fear of missing out (FOMO) because of Group Buy and artisan dynamics - the really interesting stuff isn't available at regular retail, so there's constant pressure to buy now or get left behind
  • Building a collection this way is addicting - it's called WalletHack for a reason

I got my first mechanical keyboard, a Das Professional, in January 2011. That lasted me a couple years because I didn't know I was missing out on anything. That, of course, changed when I stumbled upon GeekHack in 2013. I lurked for quite a while before joining on 1/31/14. So my one-year anniversary is coming up in about a week.

2014 was an amazing year for me business-wise, so I had disposable income -- a lot more than ever before in my life (I'm 26 for context) -- and I spent a damn lot of money on this hobby in 2014. Like, I'm not going to say how much because I don't want you guys to think I'm out of my damn mind. It was too much. I don't think I was the number one spender on GH but I've read some threads on the subject, and let's just say it was quite a bit more than average.

You might think this sounds great, to have a great year and be able to go nuts on keyboards. Well, let me tell you, it wasn't that great.

It did bring me happiness (and of course the pleasure of interacting with you all :-*) but reflecting on it, it did not bring me a proportional amount of happiness. Not even close, really. Moreover, I often felt I should scale back, but I had acute GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) and FOMO, and honestly, I didn't feel in control of my spending. In fact I would say that it caused almost as much anxiety in the end as happiness.

I'm not trying to be melodramatic. I didn't break the bank or go into debt, my financial situation is fine. But I spent a LOT of money that, looking back now and ahead to my future, would do me a lot more good in my savings account than in keyboards.

It's uncomfortable to think about, but this kind of thing really does have a lot in common with, say, substance addiction. I know personally, I bought many expensive setups that I told myself would be my end-game, only to find that weeks later, I had my eye on something else completely and then I'd rationalize buying it too.

I made another big purchase this month, something I've wanted for a while (And I'll definitely post about it when I get it.  :p) But, this really made me pause for a while and assess my situation. The way I've spent on this hobby in the past won't do any lasting damage, fortunately, but that doesn't mean it wasn't reckless, because it was.

The thing about growing up is that you become responsible for all your own decisions. No one can tell you how to live your life. If you want to push yourself beyond your comfort zone, and experience new things, put yourself in challenging situations (personally, socially, professionally, etc) you can do it. Or you can stay in your comfort zone, nerding out and living a low key life. When you're a kid, your parents (hopefully) push you to try new things, and the system keeps you advancing -- through middle, high school, maybe college, etc. But once you hit adulthood, which many of us are barely into, or still looking ahead to, nobody makes you do anything. You are the captain.

My dad's a white collar professional. He does well for himself. However he also spends at the edge of his means. He's not in debt or living paycheck to paycheck like so many Americans, but his spending patterns have been such that he doesn't really have a solid retirement plan. He spends a lot of money on hobbies, travel, etc. Lives a high quality of life now but eventually there will be consequences for it. I know he understands this but it does not seem to change his actions -- the habits are ingrained.

Looking back at 2014 I can see his behavior manifested in my own behavior. Kids tend to grow up thinking that what their parents do is OK, and the way things should work. In that respect I realized my money management skills were shaping up to be too much like my dad's. (Disclaimer: I love you Dad and if you ever for some reason stalk me and read this, don't take it personally, you are still the best Dad ever...)

But we are all ultimately captains of our own destiny, and there is no guardian angel who is going to come down and say, "Hey intelli78, maybe you should get these dumb ass habits under control before they become a lifelong pattern."

This is getting to be more epic than anybody needs in GH Off Topic, so let's take it back down to keyboards:

I am committing to unhacking my wallet in 2015, and I'm posting about it so maybe it'll inspire someone else to unhack theirs as well.

By now, I know what are my favorite switches, and I own plenty of awesome boards. I don't need any more. In the remainder of 2015, I'm going to enjoy what I already have and take a step back from the constant Classifieds section madness. I hope it gives me a new appreciation for what I have and that's a big thing that I hope goes deeper than just the keyboard hobby. I also hope it helps me put some serious money into savings instead of into keyboards, and gives me more time to level-up my keyboard knowledge. (There's another aspect too: GH is a bad distraction at work. Gotta stop checking it all the time!)

That's not to say I'm going 100% cold turkey, that is rarely the right approach. There are a few purchases I've been planning that I'm going to go through with:

- A Phantom project that I'm doing right now.
- When they happen, GMK Hyperfuse and Photekq's Classic Beige.
- Finally, a Triumph Adler G80-3000 that should be getting plucked from the depths of China later this summer - my personal holy grail.  :cool:

Those purchases represent a reasonable annual budget for the hobby, at least for me. Much more reasonable than my first year, at least. Probably will come out to be around $1-1.5k, or a little more than $100/month over the year. That's a reasonable amount of money to spend on a hobby.

I'm also going to sell some neat stuff so for those of you still in the hack, you can look forward to that.

But all other purchases are receiving a moratorium. If the HHKB 3 itself comes down from heaven next month, I'm going to force myself to sit it out until next year. I'm also going to sit out cap sales for the rest of the year. Why? To develop new habits of delaying gratification and improving my money management skills.

The final part of this is, I know I am not the only one here who's experienced this. We had a thread recently about avoiding debt and so on, and I know for some people there is more truth than they would like to admit about the Wallethack joke. I hope that by sharing this, it makes you think about your own experience. I know some members like Melvang have a strict budget that they stick to, and I just really admire that. Others may be at the opposite end of the spectrum like me in 2014. If your gut tells you you're getting wallethacked to the point it's a problem for you, maybe consider stepping up and joining me. You don't have to set the same goals as me, just whatever makes sense for yourself. And we can commiserate together  :D

If you have read this far, thank you, and I really hope that you gained something from reading. Some of this was actually really uncomfortable to write, I don't usually like sharing anything personal. But there it is.

Finally, I hope this didn't come off as overly narcissistic.  :)) I know in some respects this comes off as a first-world problem, but in my opinion it's really about some core universal issues that apply to everyone in the hobby (and really, in life).  :thumb:
« Last Edit: Tue, 03 October 2017, 19:47:46 by intelli78 »
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Offline iri

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #1 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 04:26:11 »
and once you find your perfect switch, you cease all your activities besides posting in the off-topic section.

88347-0
(...)Whereas back then I wrote about the tyranny of the majority, today I'd combine that with the tyranny of the minorities. These days, you have to be careful of both. They both want to control you. The first group, by making you do the same thing over and over again. The second group is indicated by the letters I get from the Vassar girls who want me to put more women's lib in The Martian Chronicles, or from blacks who want more black people in Dandelion Wine.
I say to both bunches, Whether you're a majority or minority, bug off! To hell with anybody who wants to tell me what to write. Their society breaks down into subsections of minorities who then, in effect, burn books by banning them. All this political correctness that's rampant on campuses is b.s.

-Ray Bradbury

Offline bueller

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #2 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 04:30:23 »
Great read man, thanks for that. Much like yourself I spent entirely too much money on this hobby in the early days because I got swept up in the hobby, wasn't until I started adding up all the purchases that I realised how reckless I was being. I'd rationalise things however I needed to in order to buy things and then wonder why the items would sit there un-used.

Last year I resolved not to spend more than $100 a month on keyboards and I've been sticking to it so far, the first couple of months I blew through my cash instantly but the last couple I've barely even thought about it. I'm still going to collect but I'm keeping it to things I will actually use (ie. Brobots, Clacks and GMK sets). Luckily I've got two custom 60% boards now in addition to my Filco and four GMK/Cherry sets so that should keep me satisfied until Hyperfuse arrives.

Much happier now, not constantly worrying about how I'm going to pay for GB's or selling off other items to fund the madness. Haven't made a keyboard related purchase on eBay in months either, realised after a while that while it can be fun browsing through eBay looking at all the interesting vintage boards 99% of them are useless for modern boards. Better off buying something with a keycap friendly layout first time and then picking up a decent set of caps off the classifieds instead of stuffing around with vintage sets.
It's a good width!  If it's half-width it's too narrow, and full-width is too wide. 

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Offline intelli78

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #3 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 04:37:33 »
and once you find your perfect switch, you cease all your activities besides posting in the off-topic section.

(Attachment Link)

This is... overwhelmingly true :p

Great read man, thanks for that. Much like yourself I spent entirely too much money on this hobby in the early days because I got swept up in the hobby, wasn't until I started adding up all the purchases that I realised how reckless I was being. I'd rationalise things however I needed to in order to buy things and then wonder why the items would sit there un-used.

Last year I resolved not to spend more than $100 a month on keyboards and I've been sticking to it so far, the first couple of months I blew through my cash instantly but the last couple I've barely even thought about it. I'm still going to collect but I'm keeping it to things I will actually use (ie. Brobots, Clacks and GMK sets). Luckily I've got two custom 60% boards now in addition to my Filco and four GMK/Cherry sets so that should keep me satisfied until Hyperfuse arrives.

Much happier now, not constantly worrying about how I'm going to pay for GB's or selling off other items to fund the madness. Haven't made a keyboard related purchase on eBay in months either, realised after a while that while it can be fun browsing through eBay looking at all the interesting vintage boards 99% of them are useless for modern boards. Better off buying something with a keycap friendly layout first time and then picking up a decent set of caps off the classifieds instead of stuffing around with vintage sets.

Dude, glad you were able to get it under control. You make a really good point too about browsing. The natural mindset is:

see something cool --> must own it

However it often turns out that owning it is not as great as you expect. A surprising amount of pleasure can be had just by enjoying photos online and living vicariously...
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Offline tbc

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #4 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 04:43:34 »
personally, a strategy i'm rather fond of is:

if you only have one good (or not so much) reason for spending money on a purchase, then it's probably not a good idea to make that purchase in the first place.

eg

buy edox - OK - for fun and to improve hand health - if i didn't have carpal tunnel, then this would have been a bad purchase
buy numpad - BAD - because it looks cool - i KNOW that i won't use it and the ONLY reason i want it is for bling
prechopped salad - GOOD - healthy, prevents hunger, is cheap, encourages me to eat more veggies because of convenience

at the end of the day, you'll find a highly correlation between regrettable purchases and 'just because' reasons.  it seems like this is incredibly obvious to everyone, but out of sight, out of mind yes?

i think that's as understandable as i'm ever going to get...
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Offline intelli78

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #5 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 04:46:57 »
^ Makes sense, I have also heard "If you have to convince yourself you want it, you'll regret it." Usually I have found that to be true.
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Offline bueller

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #6 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 04:47:01 »
Dude, glad you were able to get it under control. You make a really good point too about browsing. The natural mindset is:

see something cool --> must own it

However it often turns out that owning it is not as great as you expect. A surprising amount of pleasure can be had just by enjoying photos online and living vicariously...

Yep. It's really easy to get swept up browsing the photos here and feeling like you need "catch up". Fact of the matter is there is ALWAYS someone who has something awesome. Trying to keep up with the Joneses just isn't worth it.

I've adopted the "sleep on it" attitude when it comes to purchases online now, I used to just rip out the Paypal account the second I found something at the right price but now I wait till the next day and I can usually rationalise not needing it.

Unless it's a Brobot or a Clack, those guys still have the keys to the kingdom  :))
It's a good width!  If it's half-width it's too narrow, and full-width is too wide. 

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Offline iri

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #7 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 04:47:43 »
at the end of the day, you'll find a highly correlation between regrettable purchases and 'just because' reasons.
you never know if buying a keyboard with the desirable seemingly-perfect switch will be regrettable or not.
(...)Whereas back then I wrote about the tyranny of the majority, today I'd combine that with the tyranny of the minorities. These days, you have to be careful of both. They both want to control you. The first group, by making you do the same thing over and over again. The second group is indicated by the letters I get from the Vassar girls who want me to put more women's lib in The Martian Chronicles, or from blacks who want more black people in Dandelion Wine.
I say to both bunches, Whether you're a majority or minority, bug off! To hell with anybody who wants to tell me what to write. Their society breaks down into subsections of minorities who then, in effect, burn books by banning them. All this political correctness that's rampant on campuses is b.s.

-Ray Bradbury

Offline bueller

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #8 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 04:49:47 »
at the end of the day, you'll find a highly correlation between regrettable purchases and 'just because' reasons.
you never know if buying a keyboard with the desirable seemingly-perfect switch will be regrettable or not.

Most of those problems can be solved with a switch tester these days though, at least with MX. Most people should be able to narrow it down to one or two switches based off a couple of minutes with the tester. Topre is a whole other story though and it can be pricey to try them out, one of the main reasons I haven't gone down that path.
« Last Edit: Fri, 23 January 2015, 04:56:09 by bueller »
It's a good width!  If it's half-width it's too narrow, and full-width is too wide. 

[WTT] bueller's trade thread - CLACKS WANTED

Offline kurplop

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #9 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 05:16:39 »
Your thread makes some good points. Over the years, I've had a quite a few interests that bordered on obsessions. I think it's fairly common, for us guys especially, to be driven by our desires to a point where we neglect our responsibilities because we are so focused on that one, all important thing. I've also found that as my interest begins to wane, I would sometimes throw even more money at it to try to revive it; a big mistake.

I have gained much from the GH community. I've got to meet some very nice people and have learned a lot. I think the trick is to make sure that we are controlling our desires and not the other way around.

Thanks for sharing your experience with the community.

Offline iri

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #10 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 05:37:17 »
at the end of the day, you'll find a highly correlation between regrettable purchases and 'just because' reasons.
you never know if buying a keyboard with the desirable seemingly-perfect switch will be regrettable or not.

Most of those problems can be solved with a switch tester these days though, at least with MX. Most people should be able to narrow it down to one or two switches based off a couple of minutes with the tester. Topre is a whole other story though and it can be pricey to try them out, one of the main reasons I haven't gone down that path.
a tester will show you 20% of truth.
(...)Whereas back then I wrote about the tyranny of the majority, today I'd combine that with the tyranny of the minorities. These days, you have to be careful of both. They both want to control you. The first group, by making you do the same thing over and over again. The second group is indicated by the letters I get from the Vassar girls who want me to put more women's lib in The Martian Chronicles, or from blacks who want more black people in Dandelion Wine.
I say to both bunches, Whether you're a majority or minority, bug off! To hell with anybody who wants to tell me what to write. Their society breaks down into subsections of minorities who then, in effect, burn books by banning them. All this political correctness that's rampant on campuses is b.s.

-Ray Bradbury

Offline katushkin

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #11 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 05:44:28 »
Believe me man, any figure you can pluck out of the air and say you've spent on keyboards isn't mad. A lot of people on here have probably been and gone past five figures spent on boards, judging by their collections, and others who haven't been in to the hobby for quite as long, still may have spent stupid amounts of money on one board (I'm up to about £600 including shipping on one now), but we do all understand.

I have always been terrible with money too, it got to a point where I had to borrow money from parents and cash in some bonds I had because I was unable to get out of my overdraft every month, not just because of keyboards, but because I just bought everything impulsively. This year I have come into some money which is going on a house, and I know if I don't sort my life out, then I am going to get to a point where my house gets repossessed. Which is definitely not something I want to happen.

Budgeting is very important. I am starting up various accounts this year so I can plan my budget. One savings account for each thing I want, and I will put about £100 in each at the start of the month so I don't spend it, and then when I get to a milestone, or when I want to get something, I just take it out of the relevant savings account, rather than just taking it straight out of my current account.

The way I see it now, is that if I keep going for these artisan sales and raffles, I'm just going to end up with caps that I don't do anything with. Or I'm going to end up disappointed. And I would feel pretty bad if I was to hoard something, or be given/sold something just to then trade or sell them off.

So my three projects this year are:

  • Get the MX Blacks on my KC108 swapped out for MX Greys (**** linear switches)
  • Buy myself a topre board. Probably not a HHKB
  • Get a real custom built GON TKL to put my Cherry Replica set on

And then that's it. Not much to ask :P
« Last Edit: Fri, 23 January 2015, 07:33:01 by katushkin »
Can we get them to build the Alps ten feet higher and get Cherry to pay for it?
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Offline whentheclouds

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #12 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 05:48:13 »
the best way to save money is by jumping straight to the end game, at least in my opinion. if you're a noob like i am, do your due diligence, read as much as you can about the various aspects of a board, visualize your dream keyboard and start working on it, whilst skipping all the small incremental jumps in the middle. my keyboard 'journey' will be merely Filco Majestouch 2 Brown -> Duck Octagon, so about $700-$800 including all the components i'll need for the Octagon.

not to say you'll discover your preferences right away, but the more you understand, the easier it will be to find them. i did recognize early on that my keyboard will be a 75% with standard profile aluminum case, with GMK caps. eventually i also realized i wasn't longer into artisan caps and colorful LEDs as i had been previously. switches are the most difficult component to 'finalize', but i had the fortune of testing blacks and reds on my friend's keyboards and i found blacks to be the smoothest, if somewhat heavy and unsuitable for extended periods of time, so i decided on 55g springs for my dream build. all of these choices can be made with a decent understanding of the hobby. not that i care what people do with their money, but, say, if it took you 3 Cherry boards to discover that Topre is your one true switch, or it took you 3 SP and/or WASD sets to realize that the only keycaps you can tolerate are thick, delicious and juicy German-made GMK sets.. that's a lot of money you could have saved if you had invested some more time into finding out what you like best

same concept can be applied to other hobbies: if you fancy a $2k watch, don't spend too much time or money finding lookalikes, just save up for the one you want. you'll probably not feel the same satisfaction as owning the real deal anyway, why bother? i'm aware that it can be more about the journey than the destination, but if money is short, you should really cut down the distance traveled and save on gas. my 2 gallons

Offline iri

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #13 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 05:50:06 »
i want to get into this impulsive buying thing. just to see what it is.
(...)Whereas back then I wrote about the tyranny of the majority, today I'd combine that with the tyranny of the minorities. These days, you have to be careful of both. They both want to control you. The first group, by making you do the same thing over and over again. The second group is indicated by the letters I get from the Vassar girls who want me to put more women's lib in The Martian Chronicles, or from blacks who want more black people in Dandelion Wine.
I say to both bunches, Whether you're a majority or minority, bug off! To hell with anybody who wants to tell me what to write. Their society breaks down into subsections of minorities who then, in effect, burn books by banning them. All this political correctness that's rampant on campuses is b.s.

-Ray Bradbury

Offline Signature

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #14 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 06:07:58 »
As a high school student I can't spend much on keyboards so therefore I help friends sell theirs. Some of my Korean friends are selling rare keyboards and by helping to find a buyer for them I feel like I have somehow interacted with the keyboard in some sort of way, and tbh is probably the closest I will come to one of those 1k+ keyboards. I'm just glad I got the opportunity to help friends and build new contacts by selling them.  :))
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Offline Photekq

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #15 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 06:31:21 »
When I go to buy something, I ask myself one question :

If I decide to sell this can I definitely get at least what I paid including shipping?

If yes, I consider buying it. If not, I scrap it unless it's a keyboard I desperately want (surprisingly rare) and know I will probably never want to sell.
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Offline Belfong

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #16 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 06:38:06 »
What intelli78 wrote resonate so well with me. I am typically very good with money and have been careful with how I spend on my hobbies. But keyboard stuff seems to have touch some madness induce buttons in my head and I became totally irrational over this particular hobbies. Needless to say, I spent a lot in my one year plus here in GH and my friends have written me off as crazy and refuse to even entertain any conversation about keyboards and artisan caps. You guys are the only one who understand this obsession, which explains why I spend so much time here.

I came to the realization right about middle of last year and shared with one member that I needed to curtail this spending. I made a few rules for myself:

1) no more keyboard purchase. After having 2 Topre (end game stuff, right?), 1 MX Clear and 1 Alps and having only two hands and two computer (work and home), I should not need any more keyboards.

2) limit myself to just CC skulls and Brobots. These are my favorites anyway and I'm a minimalist so why make the keyboard looked like a unicorn vomit with so many different designs. Just keep it to two: skulls and bots. I thought I was pretty successful in this aspect.

3) no purchase from classifieds anymore. It's ok to buy from the artisan during their sales but no after market prices anymore. I stopped looking at classifieds.

I am happy to say that it went pretty well. I looked at my spreadsheet which I tracked these stuff and I think ended up pretty good at controlling myself. I am no more happier than when I bought these stuff, so, not spending money and feeling the same way, feels great actually.

There were a few times I broke the rules - I bought a 2TU for $110 recently and a Topre orange blanks set and a couple more - but I think these are more exception to the case. I buy because these are rare stuff, not because of "fear of missing out" or maybe I am just kidding myself. Anyway, I am glad that the impulse only came out once in a while.

It's a great confession, intelli, and I think many of us really need to look at this 'addiction' and asked if we really need so many of these keyboards and its accessories anymore.

So there! Let's keep each other motivated and keep to our own rules.
 

Offline bueller

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #17 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 06:40:22 »
I stopped looking at classifieds.

This is a big one for me. Apart from a quick glance every now and again for clack trades I don't bother looking at FS items. The first 6 months I practically lived in that sub!
It's a good width!  If it's half-width it's too narrow, and full-width is too wide. 

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Offline Belfong

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #18 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 06:41:45 »
I stopped looking at classifieds.

This is a big one for me. Apart from a quick glance every now and again for clack trades I don't bother looking at FS items. The first 6 months I practically lived in that sub!
And then I found that someone sold an OG Tri in Deskthority classifieds for just $80 Euro! OMG!!!!!!
 


Offline JPG

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #20 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 08:08:09 »
and once you find your perfect switch, you cease all your activities besides posting in the off-topic section.

(Attachment Link)


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


Yea, since I found the model F and found 2 of them in a good enough layout (AT and F122), I pretty much stopped getting interested in most things. More so since there's not much to get to customize a BS board and I don't have the time/finance to always try to get into the novelty game. In fact, it's probably much better for my finances.


But honestly, if I didn't have a family that I need to sustain, I would probably have spent much more money than I did.
IBM F122, IBM XT F X2, IBM AT F (all Soarer converted), Filco Camo TKL Browns

Offline tp4tissue

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #21 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 08:36:28 »
The end game IS the Ergodox..

I realized this quite quickly when I developed some RSI due to playing typing games..

I moved from fullboard to TKL, to Topre TKL (FVck TOPRE, liars, this is exactly like my regular keyboard)  to 2x TKL (one per hand), finally to Ergodox.

Ergodox was the end game.. using it, I was able to solve ALL of the ergonomic issues I had. and the contrast made me realize just how Deep the problem is when it comes to the Traditional flat rectangular boards..

But be warned.. Ergodox itself is not a one stop fix.. You have to invest in the time to figure out your work space as well..

Keyboard height, placement, chair,  it all has to come together for a complete experience..


Offline Belfong

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #22 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 08:49:54 »

Keyboard height, placement, chair,  it all has to come together for a complete experience..
And therefore the spending will not stop. tp4, you are not helping in this thread!
 

Offline tp4tissue

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #23 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 08:58:09 »

Keyboard height, placement, chair,  it all has to come together for a complete experience..
And therefore the spending will not stop. tp4, you are not helping in this thread!

Yes it does stop.. I have not really bought anything keyboard related since the Ergodox.. besides some nuts and bolts to get my setup together..  Tweaking the chair here n there... small things really..

We're talking about $10-15 tops..


Offline jdcarpe

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #24 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 08:59:21 »
I have the same problem you do, intelli78. I know I really need to stop, but I've been a compulsive spender all my life. I have WAY too much invested in this hobby. More than any other hobby I have ever been into. I have also stayed with this hobby longer, if that says anything. Usually, I am a serial hobbyist, jumping from one hobby to the next in approximately six month intervals. But I have found something here, with the support (enabling?) of fellow Geekhackers, that just speaks to me for some reason. I too have done pretty well financially in the past few years, and allowed that to be an excuse for my spending.

I have a bad habit of wanting to collect things just for the sake of collecting them. Even when I have no space to display them, nor time to devote to restoration or assembly. I see something that I consider rare or unique, and I just have to obtain it, just for the sake of saying I own that thing. Not that I will ever use it.

My keyboard collection is out of control. I have so many, that most of them sit in storage in a closet, while a few get rotated into use. The acquisition of new keyboards really needs to stop. I pull out keyboards from the closet sometimes that I forgot I even had. And sometimes, I have multiples of the same keyboard, because of that.

I also need to stop buying things as projects. I have zero free time to devote to restoration or building of keyboards or kits. I barely have free time to swap out keycaps when I feel like it.

I love Geekhack, and I feel at home here. I get just as much out of Geekhack as I put into it, so it is rewarding for me, both for social interaction and as a hobby. I just need to cut back on the acquisition of "things."

So thank you, OP, for making me think about this for a second. I'm going to be right there with you, trying to budget for things, and not to let things stay out of control.
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Offline CPTBadAss

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #25 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 09:05:18 »
2015: The year of the anti-wallethack. Long live budgeting, saving, and most importantly: counting your stacks.

Joking aside, I've always wondered how people supported this hobby. I've had a budgeting system that I've put into place when I first started my real job. I've broken that budget a few times but overall, I've kept it on pace. Which is definitely a good thing.

The second reason why I loved meetups so much is that it was a much cheaper way to experience *A LOT* about this hobby with minimal investment. Obviously the first reason is that so many GHers are cool to hang out with. But it's great to see that some of you are realizing that keeping your money right is just as important as owning that next Clack.

I know I was snarky about the budgeting stuff in another thread but I forget that not everyone grew up in a household where saving and budgeting was strict and the normal. Hopefully this helps someone people realize that they call be a baller on a budget ;)

And seriously, if you want help with your finances, check out Mint.com. I used that for a while until I setup a system that works for me.

Offline bueller

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #26 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 09:11:58 »
2015: The year of the anti-wallethack. Long live budgeting, saving, and most importantly: counting your stacks.

Joking aside, I've always wondered how people supported this hobby. I've had a budgeting system that I've put into place when I first started my real job. I've broken that budget a few times but overall, I've kept it on pace. Which is definitely a good thing.

The second reason why I loved meetups so much is that it was a much cheaper way to experience *A LOT* about this hobby with minimal investment. Obviously the first reason is that so many GHers are cool to hang out with. But it's great to see that some of you are realizing that keeping your money right is just as important as owning that next Clack.

I know I was snarky about the budgeting stuff in another thread but I forget that not everyone grew up in a household where saving and budgeting was strict and the normal. Hopefully this helps someone people realize that they call be a baller on a budget ;)

And seriously, if you want help with your finances, check out Mint.com. I used that for a while until I setup a system that works for me.

Saving is a massive goal for me this year. I've been a week to week guy my whole life despite earning good money and now that I'm getting older I just want to have a safety net. I'm on the right track though, last year put me about $5K in debt being out of work for so long but now that I'm working again I've got that cleared up and I next month I should finally be in the black.
It's a good width!  If it's half-width it's too narrow, and full-width is too wide. 

[WTT] bueller's trade thread - CLACKS WANTED

Offline Belfong

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #27 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 09:15:17 »

Saving is a massive goal for me this year. I've been a week to week guy my whole life despite earning good money and now that I'm getting older I just want to have a safety net. I'm on the right track though, last year put me about $5K in debt being out of work for so long but now that I'm working again I've got that cleared up and I next month I should finally be in the black.
not trying to be rude or anything but I often wondered how anyone can be a week to week guy? Do you just spend all the money you earn on good stuff - expensive food, clothes, entertainment, booze, clacks, cars, girls or something? I mean, I don't think I have ever had to live on a week to week. It's a very scary thing to me. I always make sure I have savings for rainy days.
 

Offline bueller

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #28 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 09:19:02 »

Saving is a massive goal for me this year. I've been a week to week guy my whole life despite earning good money and now that I'm getting older I just want to have a safety net. I'm on the right track though, last year put me about $5K in debt being out of work for so long but now that I'm working again I've got that cleared up and I next month I should finally be in the black.
not trying to be rude or anything but I often wondered how anyone can be a week to week guy? Do you just spend all the money you earn on good stuff - expensive food, clothes, entertainment, booze, clacks, cars, girls or something? I mean, I don't think I have ever had to live on a week to week. It's a very scary thing to me. I always make sure I have savings for rainy days.

Nah that's not rude man, happy to explain! Honestly I've had pretty bad impulse control issues my whole life, drank a lot when I was younger but I'm coming up on 2 years without a drink now so I'm starting to put things together. Weirdly my dad was always really good with money and tried to instil good habits but once I moved out of home and had to take care of myself that all kind of went out the window.

It is pretty easy to blow through cash on day to day life in my city though, it is ridiculously expensive to live here.
It's a good width!  If it's half-width it's too narrow, and full-width is too wide. 

[WTT] bueller's trade thread - CLACKS WANTED

Offline tp4tissue

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #29 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 09:19:48 »
Hahaha..

Depending on Income class.. 

Umm.. on the Lower side, they can't help but live paycheck to paycheck..

In the middle.. it's all the diversions, candy, online shopping, restaurants, luxury goods

In the middle-high.. luxury expense becomes an addiction..

In the High, well... theses people are owners of capital, so spending isn't much of a problem

Offline Belfong

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #30 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 09:21:25 »


Saving is a massive goal for me this year. I've been a week to week guy my whole life despite earning good money and now that I'm getting older I just want to have a safety net. I'm on the right track though, last year put me about $5K in debt being out of work for so long but now that I'm working again I've got that cleared up and I next month I should finally be in the black.
not trying to be rude or anything but I often wondered how anyone can be a week to week guy? Do you just spend all the money you earn on good stuff - expensive food, clothes, entertainment, booze, clacks, cars, girls or something? I mean, I don't think I have ever had to live on a week to week. It's a very scary thing to me. I always make sure I have savings for rainy days.

Nah that's not rude man, happy to explain! Honestly I've had pretty bad impulse control issues my whole life, drank a lot when I was younger but I'm coming up on 2 years without a drink now so I'm starting to put things together. Weirdly my dad was always really good with money and tried to instil good habits but once I moved out of home and had to take care of myself that all kind of went out the window.

It is pretty easy to blow through cash on day to day life in my city though, it is ridiculously expensive to live here.
Expensive in Perth? They say that there's nothing to do there! I'd imagine Sydney or Melbourne being more up and expensive.
 

Offline bueller

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #31 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 09:28:58 »


Saving is a massive goal for me this year. I've been a week to week guy my whole life despite earning good money and now that I'm getting older I just want to have a safety net. I'm on the right track though, last year put me about $5K in debt being out of work for so long but now that I'm working again I've got that cleared up and I next month I should finally be in the black.
not trying to be rude or anything but I often wondered how anyone can be a week to week guy? Do you just spend all the money you earn on good stuff - expensive food, clothes, entertainment, booze, clacks, cars, girls or something? I mean, I don't think I have ever had to live on a week to week. It's a very scary thing to me. I always make sure I have savings for rainy days.

Nah that's not rude man, happy to explain! Honestly I've had pretty bad impulse control issues my whole life, drank a lot when I was younger but I'm coming up on 2 years without a drink now so I'm starting to put things together. Weirdly my dad was always really good with money and tried to instil good habits but once I moved out of home and had to take care of myself that all kind of went out the window.

It is pretty easy to blow through cash on day to day life in my city though, it is ridiculously expensive to live here.
Expensive in Perth? They say that there's nothing to do there! I'd imagine Sydney or Melbourne being more up and expensive.

Yeah most people pay anywhere between 40-60% of their income on housing here, that takes up a large chunk. Public transport sucks so you have to run a car however luckily with the fuel prices going down we're getting a bit of relief, at it's peak it was about $1.40-$1.50 a litre though. Even things like public transport are expensive as hell, last time I took the train to work it cost me nearly $10 for the day and I only live like 15 minutes from work.
It's a good width!  If it's half-width it's too narrow, and full-width is too wide. 

[WTT] bueller's trade thread - CLACKS WANTED

Offline bowji

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #32 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 09:35:42 »
Great read, and great points. Its comforting to see there are many others on the same boat. At first, I was a lurker here for a while, trying to buy my first mechanical keyboard (Ducky) but soon after joining I have been binge buying. All the debate/suggestion for different switches has really got me deep into this hobby, this community is great for that since so many people are passionate about keyboards. I had the ducky for a year but recently I got 2 more mechs within 2 months. I rationalize myself by reminding myself "try and own only one of each switch type there is". Cherry MX, Topre, Buckling spring... finally alps? But I know I will be in for customs sooner or later... Im already looking into soldering as it is  :'(

On top of that, theres keycap sets and artisan keycaps that intrigues me. Its hard to tell myself "no" when there are so many amazing work out there. I know I have not spent anywhere near what others here have, but I understand how this hobby can go out of hand. Its only the beginning for me and Im already feeling it.

As for boards, I know Im close to my end of everything I want, one MAYBE two more boards. As for keycaps... there are a few I would like to get my hands on and once I do get lucky enough, that will come to an end as well. Hopefully everything goes well for everyone planning to "Unhack" their wallets this year. Ill be joining soon.

Goodluck!
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Offline berserkfan

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #33 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 10:38:32 »
This is one of the best threads I’ve seen on this forum in a long time.

Every noob should be forced to read it before they are allowed access into classifieds or any thread where the keywords Clack, Brobot, Artisan, etc. are invoked.

That said, I am also having difficulty keeping expenses down in this hobby despite having found my ideal layout and key switch mod. I keep wanting to buy more stuff to play with and give away, but really have run out of friends and relatives to pass my keyboards to.
Most of the modding can be done on your own once you break through the psychological barriers.

Offline slip84

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #34 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 11:05:29 »
I did this pretty hardcore with headphones and I did it with keyboards. In the end, I wound up with three pair of headphones and four keyboards that I use regularly. I have a few extra sets of caps (ugh, Topre!) and some odds and ends I probably don't need.

However, I can't say I would be where I am on either "hobby" without having gone through a LOT of stuff to get there. It's weird. Psychologically, I know that dropping a dime on something is better (USUALLY) than dropping a nickel, but rarely do I do it. I should have just started with an HHKB and a Poker II (plus mods), but I didn't. I went through the motions (BlackWidow Ultimate > Das Keyboard > ...) and got to where I was. Fortunately, I had someone to buy most of my other keyboards.

Either way, it's a good cautionary tale. I'm looking into other hobbies now (cameras!) and doing research and then buying. I love experiencing things, but when you're looking at $600+ for a good lens, it gets a bit more daunting than a $80 keyboard or $40 set of caps.

Anyway, great post. Good advice. Sound logic.

Offline bueller

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #35 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 11:21:46 »
I did this pretty hardcore with headphones and I did it with keyboards. In the end, I wound up with three pair of headphones and four keyboards that I use regularly. I have a few extra sets of caps (ugh, Topre!) and some odds and ends I probably don't need.

However, I can't say I would be where I am on either "hobby" without having gone through a LOT of stuff to get there. It's weird. Psychologically, I know that dropping a dime on something is better (USUALLY) than dropping a nickel, but rarely do I do it. I should have just started with an HHKB and a Poker II (plus mods), but I didn't. I went through the motions (BlackWidow Ultimate > Das Keyboard > ...) and got to where I was. Fortunately, I had someone to buy most of my other keyboards.

Either way, it's a good cautionary tale. I'm looking into other hobbies now (cameras!) and doing research and then buying. I love experiencing things, but when you're looking at $600+ for a good lens, it gets a bit more daunting than a $80 keyboard or $40 set of caps.

Anyway, great post. Good advice. Sound logic.

I was so glad when I gave up my position shooting live music, photography is so god-damn expensive!
It's a good width!  If it's half-width it's too narrow, and full-width is too wide. 

[WTT] bueller's trade thread - CLACKS WANTED

Offline Snowdog993

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #36 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 11:26:42 »
I have read this thread, and if you have decided on what you want, why get something else?  A keyboard is just one device among a plethora of computer devices.  I guess I can say that because what I have is timeless.  No need to change something that has worked for more than 20 years.
I see all the flashy keyboards and gizmos out there, and yes some are attractive.  I actually still buy bluetooth wireless keyboards, and have found one that I do like.  It wasn't expensive and does the job well.  It's probably just a rubberdome, but I don't care.  It feels good to type on, and I like it.
The bias about what switch is better or who has the best whatever switch is false.  If you have something that you like to use, then use it!  Don't buy something if you're not going to use it!
And then there are those that prey on desire for this or that.  Just find a good deal and get what you really want.  Don't get it because so-and-so says it's great.  You're not so-and-so.
Maybe I look at it from a different perspective.  I'm not a genius by far.  I have thought I was right about some things and have been dead wrong.  That's okay.  We all learn.
Maybe being critical of someone because they like a keyboard that cost them $10 isn't so bad.  They like it.
« Last Edit: Sat, 24 January 2015, 00:05:58 by Snowdog993 »

Offline drewba

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #37 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 11:59:58 »
Great post intelli, I'm new to this hobby and have been downright reckless when it comes to spending. Your post is definitely a great reality check and a reminder to pump the brakes.

Usually, I am a serial hobbyist, jumping from one hobby to the next in approximately six month intervals. But I have found something here, with the support (enabling?) of fellow Geekhackers, that just speaks to me for some reason. I too have done pretty well financially in the past few years, and allowed that to be an excuse for my spending.

I can identify with this. Friends warned me what I was getting myself and my budget in to...

Offline vivalarevolución

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #38 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 13:46:14 »
Good post.  The turning point for me was when I realized that my hobbies were simply distractions from addressing the greater issues in my life like personal relationships and career stuff.  Since then, I have been slowly backing away, although this site still has plenty of interesting things going on.
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Offline MOZ

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #39 on: Fri, 23 January 2015, 15:23:01 »
Nice post intelli, something in real life last year forced me to back off from buying stuff, which hasreally allowed me to get a good perspective on things. Also, I realised I wasn't spending my money, but my parents, if it were mine, would I be spending as much? I don't spend nearly as much as most here, but for me, that is a lot, a little too much to be honest. Besides, I realised what I was spending every month was a more than what most in my country and some of my close knowns were earning in the month.

I've decided not to spend anything on keyboard until I have a permanent job, and even then I will budget, keep a pool to which I will add every month and only use that amount to spend on keyboards.

This time of from spending has also allowed me to learn, that using what I've bought and experiencing it is much more gratifying than endlessly hoarding more and more, and always keep hunting for that better layout, nice keyset, etc. Again, it's not that I've gone cold turkey, but I've learnt to control.

Offline HoffmanMyster

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #40 on: Sat, 24 January 2015, 02:06:02 »
Great write-up, intelli.  This resonates with me all too well.  You can ask CPTBadAss how easy it is to hack my wallet....  :|

The moment of realization for me was after I tallied up everything I have ever spent on keyboards and realized just how much it was.  :eek:  I won't share it un-prompted, but I am not ashamed to share the number if people are interested.   :blank:

At that point, I sold roughly 1/3 of my artisan caps in the Great Artisan Cap Purge of 2014, and I've been quite happy with the decision.  There are times I miss them (I tend to be overly sentimental - though some of them truly were special and it makes me sad :( ), but overall I'm glad I was able to sell part of the collection.  To be honest, I'm incredibly proud of myself.  It's not something I normally would expect myself to be able to do (that's part of the problem!).

Now that my student loans have kicked in and are stealing away half of my income (WHAT?? :eek: ), I've had to be even more mindful of my spending, so I'm actually really happy that I started thinking about this a few months ago.  I started a mindset of spending less, and it has made the adjustment much easier.   :thumb:

Offline intelli78

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #41 on: Sat, 24 January 2015, 03:22:29 »
I can't respond to everybody here, but thank you all for the thoughtful replies. It seems like GH really does flip the

madness induce buttons

in our heads. Overspending can happen in any hobby but keyboards are a perfect storm for fostering bad behaviors.
Please consider carefully before you decide to comment, for Jesus.

Offline rowdy

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Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #42 on: Sat, 24 January 2015, 04:54:59 »
Maybe I should regularly include a wallethack warning in my new member welcome posts.

I don't have a lot of disposable income, and there's a couple of things I really should save up for to fix - things that are only going to get worse over time if I don't do something about them this year.

I also have other hobbies, but I try to restrict what I buy there.

I also have a family - that is a big factor in deciding whether to take part in a GB or not (more often not, these days), and whether to buy into the latest artisan sale (generally not, although CC and BroBot sales are exceptions, as for many members).

I am also a hoarder, and don't tend to sell or give away anything.  At all.  Ever.  With one small exception recently.

Prior to moving house about 18 months ago I decided to throw out some old computers I don't use, and which probably didn't work.

The stack on the nature strip was about 1.5 metres high and about 3 metres long :eek:  Old servers, workstations, cases, printers, scanners, all sorts of stuff.

The funny thing is that everything disappeared in a couple of days, and the council weren't scheduled to collect until a week later :))

Then we moved house, and I still had way too much stuff.

So at the next opportunity I chucked out another huge pile of old computer gear, this time including about 30 or 40 old (non-mechanical) keyboards.  More printers.  More old server.  More old empty cases.

Most of that disappeared days before the council was due to collect, except the keyboards.  Someone cut the cables off them, but left the actual keyboards.

This year I really have to curb my spending.  As nice as the [CTRL] ALT sets are, as tempting as the latest GMK GB is, I have to resist.

This month has not been good - Bro Caps sale, KWK sale, CMYW sale - each relatively small in their own right, but contributing to an ongoing drain on my limited resources.

So I have a very short list of keyboards (SSK and RealForce TKL 55g uniform), no keycap sets (Tai Hao Dolch and Toxic are coming my way soonish, both were ordered and paid for last year), and we'll see what happens about Clacks and Bro Caps.
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline Belfong

  • Posts: 5217
  • Location: Malaysia
Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #43 on: Sat, 24 January 2015, 05:44:14 »
My gosh rowdy, you house must be a junkyard or something. I'm surprise the missus does not get pissed off with you!
 

Offline demik

  • Pronounced "demique"
  • Posts: 11159
Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #44 on: Sat, 24 January 2015, 16:22:10 »
and once you find your perfect switch, you cease all your activities besides posting in the off-topic section.

(Attachment Link)

exactly.

thats why i tell everybody to just buy a hhkb already and get it over with. then join us in off topic where the gifs flow freely.
No, he’s not around. How that sound to ya? Jot it down.

Offline rowdy

  • HHKB Hapster
  • * Erudite Elder
  • Posts: 21175
  • Location: melbourne.vic.au
  • Missed another sale.
Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #45 on: Sat, 24 January 2015, 17:39:43 »
My gosh rowdy, you house must be a junkyard or something. I'm surprise the missus does not get pissed off with you!

She has her own collections of things, admittedly not quite as extensive as my collection of oldish computer hardware was.
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline noisyturtle

  • * Exalted Elder
  • Posts: 6422
  • comfortably numb
Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #46 on: Sat, 24 January 2015, 17:42:30 »
I use YNaB

It's free for students and is pretty useful once you get set up.

Offline sethk_

  • Grand Master Wizard Pizza
  • * Esteemed Elder
  • Posts: 2710
  • Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • www.kbdhub.com
    • My webstore
Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #47 on: Sat, 24 January 2015, 18:12:29 »
I am able to relate, especially with my ErgoDox, and the rs96 I just ordered. I slept on both for about 2 or 3 days, and realized I wanted them, and I made sure I had enough to buy both of them, and I made sure that I would also have enough money to personalize them when they come, or else it wouldn't have any meaning to me. I feel like I will miss out on something, especially keycaps, so I am glad when there are raffles, because when I enter & lose, I can't blame myself for missing out. For some reason, there aren't many keycaps I would be willing to pay overpriced for on my HHKB compared to my other keyboards, but I quite don't know why. One thing that is nice about all my keyboards is that I can make profit or just break, except for my Razer. In a span of about 3 months I broke 1k spent, which is more than I ever imagined myself spending, but it doesn't seem so insane now, mostly because it brings me more joy than I thought it would.

Offline tp4tissue

  • * Destiny Supporter
  • Posts: 13547
  • Location: Official Geekhack Public Defender..
  • OmniExpert of: Rice, Top-Ramen, Ergodox, n Females
Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #48 on: Sun, 25 January 2015, 18:01:17 »
I think Tp4's trademark Ramen-Financing will help most of ya'll...

Try it out..


Offline radio_killah

  • Posts: 1427
  • Location: Bay Area
  • Chinchillin'
Re: Unhacking the wallet in 2015 - confessions of an addict (warning: long)
« Reply #49 on: Sun, 25 January 2015, 23:01:58 »
I am glad I was able to figure out what I liked quickly. No small incremental jumps for me.. Went straight end game after I got a Poker 2 and 660m. Sold both of them while they were still hot and recouped some costs. I went full-blownsies. But I shouldn't have any cravings at all for 2015. In a few months I should have a HHKB, a B.mini, a GON HHKB styled 60%, a Viper, and an Octagon. Done.

On the real though. I totally agree with you Intelli. When I first got into this, I just went crazy and bought up everything that I could because I could. That wasn't and never will be a good idea for anyone.. It is hard and self control is really of the utmost importance in a collecting hobby like this. You can't have everything and you never will.

One thing that definitely saves me money is not going after any artisan caps.  ^-^

Great post and well written. A must read for every GH'er in my opinion.